Can opener



1une19,1923. l 1,459,261

L. D. ROBERTS CAN OPENER Filed June i0 1922 Patented June 19, 1923.

UNITED STATES LEWIS D. ROBERTS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.l

can OPENER.-

Application filed June 30, 1922.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS D. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a newand useful Canv Opener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a can opener, one of its objects being toprovide a simple structure of this character adapted to out through thecan during successive downward strokes of the handle of the tool, thedirection of the cut being toward the user so that danger of injury dueto accidental slipping of the device along the jagged edge of the can,is eliminated.

Another object is to provide a. tool of this character the 4parts ofwhich are so assembled that when a can is cut thereby the edge is curledupwardly and laterally so as to leave a substantially smooth surfacearound the opening produced in the can, thus enabling the can to behandled without danger of cutting the user.

Another object is to provide a can opener utilizing a fulcrum member soconstructed and positioned relative tothe cutting blade as to adapt thedevice for use in connection with cans of diiferent types with equalefciency.

Another object is to provide a can opener composed of few parts soarranged that they will not work loose as a result of the strains towhich they are subjected.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and.arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the prejferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation Iof the can opener.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an end elevation.

Figure .4 is a perspective view of the body portion of the device.

Figure 5 is a view showing in diagram Vthe position of the fulcrummemberand cutting blade when used for cutting through a flat sheet or throughthe Side 0f a can.

Serial No. 571,921.

Figure 6 is a similarview showing the relative positions of the bladeand fulcrum member when the device is used for cutting throughV the headof a can having a high annular flange or, in other words, through a headconsiderably depressed from the end of v the can.

Figure 7 is a similar' view showing the application of the device to thehead of a can; having a small annular rib.v

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figures 5, 6 and 7 and showing theposition of the parts when used in cutting out the flat head of aseamless can.

Referring t0 the figures by characters of reference 1 designates theangular body of the device provided preferably with a tapered shank 2adapted to be seated within a handle 3. lThis body terminates in a bluntend 4L one side of which is formed with a recess 5 providing anobliquely disposed side shoulder 6 merging at one end into an endshoulder 7. A finger 8 extends from the body and is offset laterally soas to project beyond the recessed side of the body. This i finger hasits free endv downturned as at 9 and widenedto produce van elongatedfulcrum edge 10 interposed between parallel depending side lugs 11constituting guards. The fulcrum edge 10 is angular in cross section soas to present biting edges 12. The

inner sides of the lugs'11 are preferably perpendicular to the fulcrumedge 10 and the outer face ofthe finger 9 is preferably cut away asindicated at 13 so as to produce -the blunt fulcrum edge 10 by reducingthe thickness of the finger between the lugs.

Seated snugly within the recess 5 is a wing 14 formed at one end ofacutting blade 15. This wing is so shaped as to bear tightly against theshoulders` 6 and 7 and it is held securely in the recess by rivets 16.EX- tending from the ring` is asv-shaped perforating prong 17 havingconverging sharpened edges 18, the point formed at the meeting ends ofthese edges beingl nearly in line with the longitudinal axis of theshank 2.

The blade 15 has its outer edgev preferably curved in the direction ofits length asl shown at 19-while that edge ofthe blade nearest thefinger 8 isy straight and sharpened as shown at 20, vthis straight edgeand the curved edge 19 converging to a point 21 located beyond the freeend of the finger 8. As shown particularly in Figures 2, 3, and .5 to 8inclusive this cutting bladefs not in line withv the center of theulcrum edge l() but i's'Id-isposed in av plane intersecting said edge ata point nearer one of the lugs 1l than the other. Under ordinaryconditions the tool is adapted to be heldv in the right hand of the userand in that event the blade is nearer the left hand lug than the righthand lug. This construction 'has been illustrated in Figures 5 to 8inclusive as well as in Figures 2 and: 3.

InV using this ydevice the prong 17 is thrust through the can at theypoint where the cut is; to be started. The projecting point of thecutting bladek l5l is then inserted through the puncture until thef-ulcrum edge l() comes into contact with the bead or corner of the canas shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8. .T the can has ahigh annular portion asshown at a in Figure 6 the right hand lug ll willl thrust laterallyagainst the side of the can whileth'e left hand Alug will bear upon theend ofthe. can, thus supporting the blade l5 in an inclined position.The edgelO will rest on the annular portion ai'. By now thrustingdownwardly on the handle 3 vthe fulcrum. edge 10 will ibite into thatportion of the can engaged thereby while the blade 15 will swing aboutsaid edge as its Jfulcrurn and cut through that vportion i of the can inthe path of the edge 2() Handler 3 is then swung upwardly and at thesame time pulled toward the operator so that rthe bladeV l5 isreinserted into the can. By again pressing downwardly on the handle '3the edge 20V will shear upwardly through the metal in the .path thereof.This action is repeated until the end of the can has been partly orcompletely severed. The upward shearing action of the blade l5 willresult in the outer edge of the cut curling outwardly and laterally asshownin Figure 6 and, consequently, there will be no jagged edge leftprojecting from the can and on which the hand of the operator is likelyto be cut. As the vtool is drawn toward the operator afterA each cuttingaction and the blade l5 is not completely withdrawn from the cut, untilafter the entire operation has been completed, it will be obvious thatthere is nodanger of the tool slipping unexpectedly out of its positionin engagement with the can. Consequently a canfcan be held in one endand openedby the tool held in the other hand without danger of injury tothe operator due to unexpected .release of the tool.

If the device is used lin connection with a can having a low bead,asshown at b in Figure 7 the ulcrum edge 10 will properly center thetool and no side thrust by either of the lugs 11 will be necessary. p

When it is ydesired to cut through the corner portion of a seamless canas shown at ein Figure V8 the fulcrum yedge 10 can be placed at an angleso as to bear against the corner of thecan and the left hand lug ll,

referring to Figures G, 7 and 8.

will thrustV laterally against thevend of the can. Thus the blade l5 cancut through the corner portion of the can, the peculiar angle at whichit is supportedl permitting it sufficient freedom of movement within thecan to cut therethrough at the angle or corner.

ln cutting through a flat sheet or through the side wall of a can asshown at' al in Figure 5 both lugs will rest on the surface and' theselugs will constitute the fulcrum of the tool in lieu of the edge l0. j

Importance is attached to the 'fact that the blade l5 does ,notV align`with 'the' center of the ulcruzm edge l0v butLA is .nearer .one of thelugs ll than the other. This1 allows the opener to be used in connectionwith different lrinds of cansnas will be obvious by the blade belocated-midway between the lugs it could not properly be used in`connection with a can 'such as 'shown iin Figure 6 or, possibly', witha can such as illustrated in Figure 7.` Y

Importance is also; attached to the fact that the lugs ll areV angularas they thus-present elli-cient bea-ringsto receive side thrusts andalso properly bite `into the can when the tool is used as illustrated inboth Figures 5 and 8. n

lThe shoulders 6 and 7 receivepractically all oit' the strain resultingfrom the cutting action of the blade 15 and also from the Shouldperforating actionof the Aprong 17. Thus f v the sole function oftherivets 16 is to hold the parts assembled and there isno danger of theserivets working loose.

By providing the cutting edge lof` vthe blade along a line extendingtoward the `prong 17 and converging vtow-ard the longitudinal axis ofthe handle 3 and shank 2 an acute angle is formed within which islocated thel fulcrum finger 8 and this particularr arrangement enablesIthecutting operation to take place during the downward thrusts of thehandle 3 insteadof during body, a` hanf 2. A can opener including a bodyhaving c a recess'in koneside 'thereof extending k,thereinto from oneend of the body, a handleextending from the body, a cutting blade havinga wing snugly secured within the recess, `.a perforating prong extendingfrom the wing, the longitudinal axis of the handle being extendedthrough the prong, and a iinger extending from the body into the spacebetween the handle and the cutting edge of the blade, said edge beingdisposed at an acute angle to the handle.

3. A can opener including a body, a handle, a blade extending from thebody and having a cutting edge disposed at an acute angle to the handle,a finger extending from the body between said edge and the handle, thatportion of the cutting edge between the finger and the body constitutingmeans for cutting upwardly through a can during the downward movement ofthe handle, and spaced guard lugs extending from the free end of thefinger, said finger having an angular biting edge between the lugs.

4. A can opener including a body, a handle extending` therefrom, afinger extending from the body, said body having a recess in one side, acutting blade having a wing snugly secured within the recess, aperforating prong extending from the wing, the longitudinal axis of thehandle being ex tended through the prong, the cutting edge of the bladebeing disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the handleand said finger extending into the space between said edge and thehandle, there being an elongated fulcrum edge upon the finger and thrustreceiving lugs at the ends of said edge, the plane of the bladeintersecting said ulcrum edge at one side of the center thereof. M

5. In a can opener the combination with a body having a recess in oneside thereof at one end and a handle extending from the other end, of ablade having a wing snugly secured within the recess, said blade havinga straight cutting edge terminating in a point, a puncturing prongprojecting Jfrom the wing and beyond the recessed end of the body, thelongitudinal axis of the handle and the line of the cutting edge of theblade converging toward the prong, and a laterally offset fulcrum finger'integral with the body and projecting between the handle and cuttingedge of the blade, said i linger being curved toward said edge andterminating in an elongated fulcrum edge spaced from the blade, therebeing angular thrust receiving lugs at the ends of the fulcrum edge.

In testimony that I clairn the foregoing as my own, I have hereto'axedmy signa-` ture in the presence of a witness.

LEWIS D. ROBERTS.

Witness IVY E. SIMPSON.

